Faeries and Languages

[HappyDaze]

Toot speaks and understands Russian.  He never learned Russian, he doesn't 'know' Russian, he just does it.  It's quite clearly that simple...

Except for the inevitable question that arises when a player would like a similar ability.  Is this "Tongues" ability fairly pointed as a -1 Refresh Power?  Is this a natural capability of all Fae, or only of certain ones?  If it's a Fae ability, is it a specialized use of Glamours?

[Morgan]

I'd treat that as Toot invoking his High Concept for effect. After all, how does he know how to speak Russian? He just does. It's a fairy thing.

Now if you want to make it a power in your game a -1 Tongues power sounds about right.

[MijRai]

There is already a stunt (Linguist) that gives you four more languages for -1. I think a power is unnecessary, mechanically. Thematically, however, it could have some merit. Reskin Linguist and you are golden.

[Baron Hazard]

4 languages is not the same thing as speaking every language ever spoken. i think a 1 refresh power is very appropriate to that. Ghoul. ancient Etruscan. Latin. Russian. Etc etc

[Becq]

My take would be that languages are a purely mortal construct, and creatures of the Nevernever are not beholden to them.  If you summon a demon for information, he *will* be able to communicate with you, should he choose to, despite the fact that he never attended public school as a child.

If you need a bit more justification, you could look to the Tower of Babel for inspiration.  Before the Tower, all people were one people and spoke a common language.  As punishment for their sin of pride, they were scattered and cursed to speak differing languages that hampered their ability to work together.  But that curse was on *mortals*, not beings of the Nevernever.

Another option would be to say that Nevernever creatures speak in some for of "High Tongue", or a meta-language, of which all mortal languages are a crude subset.  Thus they can make themselves understood by restricting themselves to the portions of their meta-language that any particular mortal is capable of understanding.

This would likely be a capability shared by any creatures that are inherently supernatural, rather than creatures like vampires or ghosts who were once mortal.  Changelings might be exceptions, gaining the capability (or being capable of learning it) after Choosing to become fully Fae.

[MijRai]

Make it more then -1. A stunt gives four languages for -1, to get any language you better spend more then -1. -2 or -3 perhaps.

[wyvern]

Powers are, by definition, stronger than stunts, by (arguably) at least a factor of two.

I'd still tend to restrict such a power a bit - my version would be something like, "If somebody talks to you, in person, using language X, you can respond using language X." - so no deciphering ancient runes, no running through dozens of languages fishing for the one your untalkative prisoner will respond to, no talking russian to some guy over a telephone, etc.

It could also depend on how often it's going to come up - if the GM knows they plan a number of plot points around dead languages, the ability to understand those might be worth -2.  For other games, where most people speak english and other languages won't come up much, even the ability to speak, read, and understand all languages could easily be -1 as a power.

[MijRai]

My thought was a -1 to know languages related to your nature. A Summer Centaur Sidhe would know Gaelic, Greek, and languages from sunny/tropical places like Hawaiian, Spanish, etc. A Ghoul would know Middle-Eastern languages, Reds would know South American dialects, etc.

[Mal_Luck]

My thought was a -1 to know languages related to your nature. A Summer Centaur Sidhe would know Gaelic, Greek, and languages from sunny/tropical places like Hawaiian, Spanish, etc. A Ghoul would know Middle-Eastern languages, Reds would know South American dialects, etc.

The Reds were once living mortals and would probably be more limited to actually learning the language in question, same with the White Court (unless they automatically know that Etruscan language when they go full White) or Black Court.

I think a -1 power could cover it, -2 at most. Maybe limit it to having to be in the presence, or hearing someone speak it, and when they are gone they could no longer do it. If every Fey is able to do this, that would raise their refresh by -1 minimum... that seems strange to me for a noncombat situational use power.

[HappyDaze]

If every fae can do it, then it is simply a part of their high concept and no refresh cost really needs to be applied (but could be, if you wish).  I'd be one of the few times they get to use it beneficially since almost all other uses seem to be restrictions on them.

[babel2uk]

I'd tend to agree with it simply being an invocation of the high concept of a faerie. It's self limiting because it requires you to have the fate points available to do it. And I'd also agree with the idea that it doesn't become an option for a changeling until they have shed most if not all of their mortal side.

[JosephKell]

I'd treat that as Toot invoking his High Concept for effect. After all, how does he know how to speak Russian? He just does. It's a fairy thing.

Now if you want to make it a power in your game a -1 Tongues power sounds about right.

Or you could say that it is already part of their Glamours power.

Toot can't actually speak any language other than Fae.  He just disguises his conversations with illusion so it works out.

Contrived?  Maybe...  But forcing all Fae to speak Fae (but allowing it to be perfectly translated) could explain why they can't say an untrue thing three times (Fae itself forces a binding).  Sidhe could speak "High Fae" which doesn't even allow an untrue thing to be uttered once.